Excitement after grappling

I didn't do bjj for a few months but stayed active and continued working out, lifting weights and cycling mainly. I did a class on Thursday and got smoked by 2 advanced people. Even though I did poorly I still felt such a high afterwards. I kept thinking about the class yesterday and did aznother one today which went a bit better.

What is it about combat sports, specifically grappling that causes this rush afterwards? It's much different than the post workout endorphin rush from running, cycling, or lifting. I feel excited hours after the class now and eager to go again.

I agree that it's fun but feel like the high after a training session is more than that. I have a lot of fun doing other activities and workouts but don't feel the same rush afterwards as I do from grappling. I get it from sparring to an extent too.

I agree that it's fun but feel like the high after a training session is more than that. I have a lot of fun doing other activities and workouts but don't feel the same rush afterwards as I do from grappling. I get it from sparring to an extent too.

Like @Ice 9 Cobra stated. I think it has to do with the flow state. Nothing puts you in the moment more than BJJ. I mean when I surfed or skating when I was young it was close to this state. The thing though, if you’re distracted in bjj you are getting choked the fuck out.

I didn't do bjj for a few months but stayed active and continued working out, lifting weights and cycling mainly. I did a class on Thursday and got smoked by 2 advanced people. Even though I did poorly I still felt such a high afterwards. I kept thinking about the class yesterday and did aznother one today which went a bit better.

What is it about combat sports, specifically grappling that causes this rush afterwards? It's much different than the post workout endorphin rush from running, cycling, or lifting. I feel excited hours after the class now and eager to go again.

Why is the grappling post workout high different than other workouts?

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Hormones and neurotransmitters. Combat sports are going to stimulate the brain and endocrine systems in different ways than say a standard cycling or lifting work out.

If you're doing extreme bmx on an outdoor course with jumps and quarter pipes everywhere while dodging other riders and trying not to get wrecked, that might come closer to the type of stimulation you'll get fighting someone or rolling with a competitive opponent but it's quite a different activity compared to non competitive road cycling or weights. Those activities are not going to have the same amount of perceived danger, surprise, and requirement for sudden adaptive movements and that effects the way they stimulate the neural and endocrine systems.

I was once in a conversation with two other people, one of whom was another martial artist and the other was a professional paddler (leading and guiding canoe and kayak trips, taking people out for 6 days at a time).

We were talking about power generation and rotational movement of the hips and lower back. The paddler interjects that while she knows nothing of martial arts, she understands exactly what we're talking about and one is striving to use the same principles in long distance canoeing / kayaking.

In both contexts, we were essentially discussing how to push water around.

Even more when you add the grinding for extra experience points (instructional time, extra practice with friends), defeating bigger and tougher bosses (catching that brown belt that has been smashing you in something,anything), earning new powers (that new reverse half butterfly to x guard transition), and leveling up (just one more stripe to purple).